Garri thief escapes while mob hunts for petrol to set him ablaze

CALABAR – A twenty five year old man, John Ator, who was allegedly caught stealing two basins of garri at the Calabar Marian market escaped while the mob was hunting for petrol to set him alight.

The suspect

The man who was caught at the market with two basins of garrri at the market was about to be lynched when he escaped with the motor tire hung on his neck waiting for fuel.

Ator who is accused to have formed the habit of stealing garri from the market was unlucky as he was caught in the act when the traders decided to lay ambush for him.

One of the market managers who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that following reports of frequent garri theft in the market they decided to lay ambush to find out who the thief was

“Ninety Nine days for the thief, and one day for the owner. That is the case with this young man, John Ator, who is now caught as a garri thief who has been a thorn in the flesh of garri women traders at Marian Market, Calabar as he was caught stealing two basins of garri in one of the shops in the market early hours of this morning (Wednesday), the man stated.

He narrated further that this act of stealing garri which has become a regular occurrence at the Marian market without knowing those behind the crime got to its peak when traders began suspecting one anther so the market authorities decided to lay ambush for the thief. Fortunately for the traders the thief was caught

The traders angered by the action of the thief descended on him in their numbers, stripped him naked and hung a condemned tyre around his neck in readiness to roast him alive but the absence of fuel stalled their action. It was while waiting for fuel that the thief dramatically took to his heels and escaped into the nearby bush.

A search party was dispatched to comb the neighbourhood to track him but could not locate him.